In typical optical fiber-based optical communication systems, an optical communications device transmits optical signals to, or receives optical signals from, one or more optical fibers. The optical fibers are mounted in a fiber optic connector that positions the ends of the optical fibers in close proximity to the optical communications device. When transmitting, the optical communications device converts electrical signals into optical signals and transmits the optical signals into the optical fibers. When receiving, the optical communications device receives the optical signals from the optical fibers and converts the optical signals into electrical signals.
To transmit an optical signal to or to receive an optical signal from an optical fiber, the optical communications device must be precisely positioned in three dimensions relative to the end of the optical fiber. If the element of the optical communications device that transmits or receives the optical signal is not precisely aligned with the core of the optical fiber, the quality of the optical communication can be significantly degraded. However, the core of the optical fiber has cross-sectional dimensions in the order of a few microns to a few hundred microns so that precisely aligning the core of the optical fiber with respect to the optical communications device can be difficult.
Although packages for optical communications devices exist capable of aligning the optical communications device with optical fibers, such packages suffer from shortcomings: typically, conventional packages are complex and are difficult to use to align the optical fibers with the optical communications device with the precision needed for optimum optical signal transfer between the optical fibers and the optical communications device. For example, many conventional optical communications device packages do not automatically align the optical fibers with the optical communications device with the required precision. Therefore, additional steps are required to provide the required precision. For example, the conventional device packages may bring the optical fibers within close proximity of the optical communications device. Then, the optical fibers have to be slightly repositioned to provide the required precision. Such repositioning can be difficult and expensive to perform. In addition, many conventional optical device packages are complex, and include a large number of components. The complexity of conventional optical communications device packages and their difficulty of use significantly increases the cost of such packages.
Thus, an unaddressed need exists in the industry for a simple, low-cost packaging system for an optical communications device that provides an automatic alignment between the optical communications device and optical fibers mounted in an fiber optic connector.